


Cast Introductions

by ilyena_sylph, Merfilly



Series: Daughter of Gotham [2]
Category: DCU (Comics)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Gender Changes, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-03-30
Updated: 2014-03-30
Packaged: 2018-01-17 12:17:29
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,106
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1387318
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ilyena_sylph/pseuds/ilyena_sylph, https://archiveofourown.org/users/Merfilly/pseuds/Merfilly
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Back in Gotham, Ashlea makes or renews acquaintances she needs, while introducing the Batman to the streets.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Cast Introductions

"Ashlea!"

The tall woman turned to see her dear friend Harvey approaching with another man, a more hard-bitten veteran of the streets. Ashlea placed his face as the up-and-coming policeman James Gordon, a transfer in from Chicago. He'd made a name for being an honest one, and Ashlea was certainly pleased to finally get to make her own impressions of the man. An honest cop in Gotham might be a blessing to her city.

"Harvey," she said, her voice all genuine warmth, taking both his hands as he reached for hers, tipping her cheek just enough to allow him to kiss it. "It's been so long."

"I know, sweetheart. I missed you while I was slaving away on my degree, but you're back now," Harvey said as he stepped out of her space. "Ash, I want you to meet James Gordon, the most a-number one-cop in all of Gotham."

"Now, Mister Dent, I think you exaggerate," James Gordon said to that even as he held one hand out to Ashlea. "Pleasure to meet you, Miss Wayne. Please call me Jim."

"Jim. If Harvey thinks the world of you, I know you have to be a good man indeed." She turned on the charm, let the socialite out to play. It just would not do for a savvy cop to know all of Ashlea's abilities, when Batman would need to be as circumspect as possible.

"Harvey's the one making a name for himself, to be honest," Jim said, deflecting attention from himself. "He's been taking on the hardest cases he can get his hands on."

"Oh really?" Ashlea pretended she had not a clue about that. She was worried; Harvey was still wet behind the ears and yet he was hitting a lot of cases with suspected mafia ties hard enough to cause ripples in the underworld.

"Well, Ash, one of us has to actually do the work; can't just throw money at it," Harvey chided her lightly. Ashlea smiled and laughed a little at that. 

"You know me, Harv; I don't care to break too much a sweat on work," she said, before another prominent citizen called out to her, allowing her to duck away.

* * *

The line wasn't long enough; Ashlea had known before she chose to use it anyway. Time to test the gliding vanes in the cape. With a flick of a switch, the remote servos snapped the vanes into place, the durable cape material spreading out like wings around her. She maneuvered her legs and arms to add to the aerodynamic push, and could not help the smile it brought on. She cleared the edge of the roof, tucking to roll even as she pressed the switch again. She'd have to inspect the suit later, but she was sure the vanes had released stability in time to avoid breakage.

She came back to her feet and continued the run, hurdling to the next, much closer roof with ease, and then it was down the escape ladders, sliding by boot and glove on the outer edges, to the street. 

Just as she'd predicted, the suspect had turned into that narrow causeway, still looking over his shoulder… and he slammed hard into the armor before he ever realized his pursuet had gotten ahead of him.

"Holy shit, what are you?!"

Ashlea's jaw was set hard, and she made certain to make the voice as gruff and harsh as she could.

"The night's champion." She struck him precisely for a knockout blow, then saw to zip-stripping his hands and feet. The purse he'd nabbed remained at his side, spilled slightly, as Batman popped off a flare. The police would have to investigate the illegal firework, and they'd find this poor sot.

Maybe the young thug would choose a different path next time than purse snatching. Ashlea would have to look for tomorrow's blotter, and see what she could do to give the guy a chance to choose the honest path in her more corporate guise.

* * *

"It seems you made an impression." Alfred laid the morning newspaper down for Ashlea next to the waiting breakfast. She looked and saw that a blurred picture of that virgin flight had made it into the paper. She noted the byline on the story was by V. Vale, and the article took up a full quarter of the front page. It was larger than the interior article covering the red and blue blur that had been dominating Metropolis's papers lately.

"Someone has decided to get to the bottom of Gotham's masked hero," Ashlea said, vaguely amused. She had put great effort into her misdirections, after all.

"It must be a slow news week," Alfred said with a dry tone, bringing Ashlea's pride in the work under check. It wasn't about the notoriety; it was about helping people. She nodded at him, and set to enjoying her breakfast.

* * *

Ashlea noted the politely interested look on Lucius's face the moment she walked into the man's office. She looked all around, then shook her head.

"You really ought to have the big office," she said. "You've run this company since … well, since." She grimaced at bringing up mention of her parents' unsolved murders. It stung, so deep inside her, that nothing had ever come to light.

Lucius looked surprised; that was not what he'd expected the wayward scion to say on her first day in the corporate offices. "The big office belongs to the owner, and that is you, Miss Wayne."

Ashlea wrinkled her nose as she crossed to take his hand in a warm shake. "Please call me Ashlea. And understand that while I am bowing to pressure from the board to become more involved, I'd prefer to listen to you as my chief adviser on matters. I have been nothing but pleased with all of your hard work."

"You may wish to hold that opinion, Ashlea until you're more familiar with the company workings," Lucius cautioned, holding few illusions on how this was likely to turn out. Ashlea could see it in his cautious manner and guarded features.

"That you're advising me of that is one more piece of proof that I have made the right choice, sir. As for company projects, I believe I have a few ideas to offer when you have time to look over them with me?" Ashlea offered, striking a balance between interested newcomer and firmly committed owner.

Lucius indicated his computer. "I cleared my schedule for you today."

"Nothing critical, I hope?"

"Had there been, I would have requested you reschedule," Lucius assured her, before they settled in to get to know each other through work.


End file.
